ABSTRACT
The Air Staff in particular and the Government's defence advisers in general viewed civil aviation solely from a narrow military angle. While on the subject of trans-oceanic nights, civil air industry should remember that Pan American Airways had, in November, 1935, opened a regular service from America to Manila, via Hawaii, Wake and Guam Islands. In April, 1937, this service was extended to Macao and Hong Kong, where it connected with the lines of the China National Aviation Corporation, in which Pan American had a 45 per cent interest. Proposals were drafted for a new agreement between the Air Ministry and British Airways Ltd., providing for the continuance of a daily service for passengers, mails and freight in each direction between London and Stockholm, and the operation of a night mail service to Berlin. While the possibility of the Mediterranean becoming a precarious link in Imperial communications was foreseen, little consideration was given to an alternative across Africa.
